Inking mechanism for printing machines



s. NEWTON ET AL 1,971,081

INKING MECHANISM FOR PRINTING MACHINES Aug. 21, 1934.

Filed Oct. 10, 1931 fizz/6125013.

Patented Aug. 21, 1934 ATEN OFFICE,

MACHINES INKING MECHANISM FOR PRINTING Sam Newton, Altrincham, and FredSpence, Sale, England, assignors to Linotype and Machinery Limited,London, England, a limited-liability company of Great BritainApplication October. 10, 1931, Serial No. 567,998

In Great Britain October 16, 1930 4 Claims. (01. 101-V356) Thisinvention relates to inking mechanism of printing machines, particularlymachines in which a flat bed is reciprocated beneath the forme cylinderand forme inking rollers, which latter rotate in respectively oppositedirections with reversal of travel of the bed. 1

More particularly the invention relates to mechanism in which two setsof rollers are employed, of which one. set serves to work up the inkintermittently fed thereto from the ink fountain, and the other setapplies the ink to the forme, means intermediate the two sets beingprovided for elfecting the transfer of ink from one set to the other.

In mechanism of this kind, as usually constructed and operated, the fullsupply of ink for each impression is delivered in a continuous film tothe forme rollers from the distributor rollers during one stroke of thebed, because the reversal in the direction of rotation of the formerollers prevents any transfer of ink to them during the time that themutually contacting surfaces of the respective sets of rollers aremoving iii-opposite directions.

According to the. invention, a more efficient distribution of the ink tothe forme. rollers and greater uniformity in the film of ink applied bysaid rollers to the printing surface, are secured by animprov'ed methodof operation in which ink is actually transferred from the distributorrollers to the forme rollers during the periods of uniform travel of thebed in both directions,

so that one half of the full supply of ink for one impression isdelivered to the forme rollers during each stroke of the bed.

In one constructional form of apparatus for carrying out the invention,ink is delivered to the distributor rollers from the ink fountain by aswinging ductor roller, is subsequently transferred to a distributordrum located between the distributor rollers and the forme rollers, andis thereafter transferred from the distributor drum to the forme rollersat two distinct stages. This result is attained by the use of a ductorroller in constant rolling contact with the distributor drum, andalternately brought into contact with two rollers of the forme rollerset. The distributor drum may conveniently be of a circumferenceapproximately equal to the length of the forme.

In another constructional form of the invention, the distributor drum isrotated in continuous contact with the distributor rollers.

The invention will now be more particularly described by reference tothe accompanying diagrammatic drawing, in which:

Figures 1 and 2 are elevations representing respectively theabove-mentioned two constructional forms of the invention; Y i

In the constructional arrangement, illustrated in Figure 1, thebefore-mentioned two sets of rollers are identified by the referenceletters A, B, of which A is the set which serves to work up the inkintermittently conveyed to it from the ink fountain 1,and B is, the setwhich applies the ink to the forme on the bed 2.

The ink is conveyedto the set A from the ink fountainroller 3 by meansof a swinging ductor roller 4 which alternately contacts with saidfountain roller 3 and the roller 5. roller 5 is the first of the set A,which also comprises, the last roller 6, and, a rider roller 7contacting with both 5 and 6, j Obviously, the set A may comprise morerollers than are here represented. V v

The ink, well Worked up by thev rollers 5, 6 and 7, is transferred tothe distributor drum 8 (whose circumference may conveniently beapproximately equalto the length of the forme), by a swinging ductorroller 9 which, while making only intermittent contact with the drum 8,is in constant rolling contact with the so-called last roller 6 andthereby largely assists in. the working up ofthe ink by the set A. V

The actual transference of ink to the drum 8 takes place during a periodwhich includes the reversal of the bed at one or each end of the stroke,and at times at which the forme roller set B, is out of operativecontact with the set A.

The forme roller set B, in the example under review, comprises fourforme rollers 10, 11, 12 and 13 arranged in two pairs 10, 11 and 12, 13,each pair surmounted by its respective vibrator roller 14, 15, whichlatter are both placed in operative rolling contact through mutuallycontacting intermediate rider rollers 16, 17 and 18.

The transference of ink from the drum 8, to the set B is efiected intwodistinct stages. This result is attained by the use of a ductorroller 20 which is in permanent rolling contact with the drum 8, andarranged to make contact alternately with the rollers 14, 16.

The ductor roller 20 is journalled in arms 22 (one at each side of themachine) which are free to be swung about the axis of the drum 8, andthis swinging movement is so timed and controlled that during oneuniform travel of the bed in the direction of the arrow a, the ductorroller 20 is in rolling contact with the roller 14, as indicated in fulllines in Figure 1,

This w In the alternative constructional form ot the inventionillustrated in Figure 2, a more efiici'en-t distribution of the ink tothe forme roller set B, is ensured by the distributor drum 8 beingrotated in continuous contact with;vthedistributor roller set A. Thisarrangement is shown. in Figure 2 in conjunction with a forme inking setB arranged as in Figure" 12' p According to thislast-mentionedarrangement, the ink intermittently fed to thedistributor. roller set A from the ink fountain 1 by the ductor roller 4is continuously worked up: by thedistributor rollers,thedistributondrurm 3 and the transfer roller 20 and uniformity of thefilm of ink transferred to the' forme roller set B is moreeflicientlymai'ntained than is possible where the distributor drum itreceives inkonly intermittently from the'd-ist'ributor rollers.

It is to be noted that both the arran'gementsabovedescribed the transferof ink tothe forme' rollers occupies only short periods of.

the distributor rollers can be satisfactorily:

Having'd'escribed our invention; We declare that what we claim anddesire w secure-by- Iietters- Patent is-:

tributor rollers rotating always in the same direction, aset' of formeinking rollers rotating alternately opposite directions; an ink dis--tributor drum rotatinga'lway's in; the-same di-' recti'on'and' adaptedtoreceive irrk from the ink distributor rollers and transfer'iirk' tothe forme inking rollers, and a' ductor roller constant Is i I I nationduring the rotation of said forme inking roller set in respectivelyopposite directions.

2. In inking mechanism for printing machines, the combinationota set ofink distributor rollers rotating alwaysin' the same direction, a set offorme inking rollers rotating alternately in opposite directions, an inkdistributor drum rotating always in the same direction and adapted setbeing so located that the ductor roller makes contact withthem-.inalternation during the rotatiorr-of saidvtorrne inking rollerset in respectively-opposite directions, said ductor roller at anintermediate stage being maintained out of contact with the forme inkingroller set.

3..-I n..inking mechanism for printing machines, the combination of aset of ink distributor, rollers rotating" always inthe same direction, aset of forms inkingrollers rotating alternately in op*--positedirections, an ink distributor drum interm'ediate-theset of inkdistributor rollers and the set of formeinking rollers rotating alwaysin the same direction, a; ductor rollers intermittent-' 1y contactingwith the-drumto transfer ink thereto 'fromthe ink distributor rollers,and a7 ductor roller in constant rolling" contact with the drum, tworollers of the forme inking set beingfso locatedthat the last-namedductor rcllermakescontact with one or" other of them conforniably withtheir directions ofrota'ti'on. l. In inking mechanism forprintingmachine's, thecombination of aset of ink distributor rollers rotatingalways-in the same direction, a setof v e I forme inkingro'llersrotating alternately in op'- '11- Ininking mechanism for" printingmachines, the combination of a set of i-nk' d-isp'osite directions; an inkdistributor drum inter mediatethe set' ofink distributor" rollers andthe set ofiormeinking roll'ers' rotatingalways inthe same; direction"and in constant rolling" contact with one'i ol'ler of the distributor"roller set, andaductor roller" in constant rolling. con.- tact with thedrum, two rollers of the ferrite inking setbeingso" located that" theductor roller. makes "contact with one 'or other. "or" them conformably'with their directions of rotation;

' SAM NEWTON.

' FRED'SPENCE."

